Cost Communication and Financial Navigation in Cancer Patients (COSTCOM)

Launched by ECOG-ACRIN CANCER RESEARCH GROUP · Feb 28, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The COSTCOM clinical trial is studying how financial support and communication about costs can help cancer patients stick to their treatment plans without feeling overwhelmed by medical expenses. Many cancer patients face financial challenges due to high costs of treatment, changes in jobs, or insurance issues, which can lead to delays or interruptions in their care. The COSTCOM program offers guidance and resources to help patients manage these financial burdens, aiming to improve their overall well-being and adherence to treatment.

To participate in this trial, you need to be at least 18 years old and have recently been diagnosed with a solid tumor cancer. You should also be able to communicate in English or Spanish and have started or plan to start cancer treatment soon. Participants will receive support through financial counseling and education about available resources, which can help ease the stress of medical costs. It's important to know that this trial is currently recruiting, so there may be opportunities to join if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • NON-PATIENTS PARTICIPANTS: Participant must speak English
• • NON-PATIENTS PARTICIPANTS: Participant must be employed at National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) site for at least six months
• • NON-PATIENTS PARTICIPANTS: Participant must be able to provide informed consent to participate in this study
• * NON-PATIENTS PARTICIPANTS: Participant must be one of the following:
• • A study coordinator with a role involving use of CostCOM intervention price transparency and financial navigation platform
• • A practice oncology provider (i.e., physician or mid-level), or
• • A practice financial counselor, social workers, financial navigators, or pharmacist who have provided care or been in contact (in the last 3 months) to a patient who was assigned to the CostCOM arm, and who completed the at least 6 month study follow-up
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patient must be ≥ 18 years of age
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patient must be fluent in written and spoken English OR patient must be fluent in written and spoken Spanish
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patient must be within 120 days of a new diagnosis of any solid cancer of any stage at the time of Step 0
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patient must have had their first medical oncology visit at the time of Step 0
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patient must have initiated oral or intravenous (IV) cancer systemic therapy or have received a prescription order with stated intent to initiate within 30 days following Step 0 consent
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patients must not have indolent cancer undergoing observation alone (i.e., active surveillance)
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patients must not be receiving palliative or hospice care alone
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patient must not be undergoing curative surgery alone or radiation therapy alone. (Must be receiving systemic therapy), unless they are receiving systemic therapy
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patient must confirm that they intend to receive their care or monitoring at one of the participating NCORP practices
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patient must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
• • Patients with impaired decision-making capacity (IDMC) who have a legally authorized representative (LAR) or caregiver and/or family member available are not eligible
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patient must not have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≥ 3, OR
• • Patient must not be deemed medically unable to participate in the study by the study investigators or an oncology clinician (i.e., referral to hospice)
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patient must not be enrolled in treatment clinical trials where cancer systemic therapy is provided at no cost to the patient
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patient must not be enrolled in EAQ221CD or S1912CD given financial navigation is offered as part of these two trials.
• • NOTE: If S1912CD is activated in a participating practice, S1912CD should be offered first to patients with metastatic cancer meeting eligibility criteria for S1912CD. Only if a patient is not eligible or not interested in participating in S1912CD, the EAQ222CD can be offered. For early stage cancer, EAQ222CD can be offered first given S1912CD does not enroll patients with early stage cancer
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 0 (OPEN SCREENING REGISTRATION): Patient must not be enrolled in other clinical trials where OOPC communication or financial navigation (i.e., professional guidance to identify financial assistance programs to alleviate cost of care) is being offered as part of the trial
• • NOTE: If a trial is offering financial counseling alone without financial navigation patients are allowed to co-enroll
• • NOTE: Gift cards for survey completion, or parking passes are not considered financial navigation
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 1 (OPEN RANDOMIZATION): Patient must meet all the eligibility criteria for step 0
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 1 (OPEN RANDOMIZATION): Patient must have signed a written informed consent form
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 1 (OPEN RANDOMIZATION): Patient must have a completed baseline survey in ECOG American College of Radiology Imaging Network Systems for Easy Entry of Patient Reported Outcomes (EASEE-PRO) within 30 days of the date of OPEN registration and consent (step 0)
• • PATIENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STEP 1 (OPEN RANDOMIZATION): Patients must have initiated their cancer treatment (i.e., IV or oral systemic therapy) either before or within 30 days of the date of OPEN registration and consent (step 0)